The present invention relates to a sprinkler and more particularly to an automatic residential sprinkler.
Automatic sprinklers have long been used to disperse a fluid to control a fire. Typically, the fluid utilized in such systems is water; although systems have also been developed to disburse foam and other materials. Historically, sprinkler assemblies include a solid metal base connected to a pressurized supply of water and a deflector that is used to disperse the water flow. The deflector is typically spaced from the outlet of the base by a frame. A trigger assembly is mounted between the base and a seal, which is positioned over the orifice of the base, to hold the seal in place over the orifice to thereby seal the orifice. When the temperature surrounding the sprinkler assembly is elevated to a temperature associated with a fire condition, the trigger assembly releases the seal and water is allowed to flow from the orifice of sprinkler assembly.
“Fast” sprinkler assemblies are those sprinkler assemblies that deliver fire suppressant over a shorter response time than standard sprinklers. A measurement of a sprinkler's response time is referred to as a reaction time indices (“RTI”), which for fast sprinklers is typically less than 100 m1/2sec1/2. For residential sprinklers, the current standards specify a maximum RTI of 50.